(✔) 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙗𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙠 𝙗𝙤𝙮 ↳ (𝔃.𝓭.𝓱)

four !

"Hey, Everly!" Ariana called, waving and looking rather excited. She always looked excited. Everly smiled back and lifted a hand in greeting as she hurried towards her friend.

"You look cute in that sweater," Ariana complimented, looking at Everly's turtleneck sweater. Everly tried her best to turn her grimace into a grateful smile. "Thanks."

Everly didn't have the heart to tell her the only reason she wore a turtleneck that day was to cover the large bruise on her neck. After placing an ice pack on it for several hours and massaging it, it still wouldn't go away.

"Where's Isabel?" Everly questioned, trying to switch the subject. "Oh, she's in the staff room. She has to go find Mr. Bakely to submit her homework that she forgot to bring yesterday," Ariana said as they made their way down the hallway, weaving their way through the crowds of students.

"I'll meet you again outside your classroom, okay?" Ariana smiled at Everly, waving as she disappeared to her math class. Everly forced another smile as she entered her biology class.

Her heart raced as she realised that the teacher, Ms. Ramirez was already in the room. Everly muttered a quick greeting and hastily sat down at the nearest chair, next to a brunette girl.

"Alright class, let's begin," Ms Ramirez announced, heading towards to the whiteboard as the bell rang overhead. Just as Ms. Ramirez opened her mouth to start teaching, there came a loud shout of laughter from outside the classroom.

She paused in frustration. Everyone's heads turned towards the classroom door. There stood the teenage boy Everly had seen yesterday at the cafeteria. His dark hair was tousled and his brown eyes shone with mischief. He leaned casually against the doorway, smirking. Everly's jaw clenched. It was—

"Zach Herron," Ms. Ramirez said sternly.

" 'Sup Ms. Ramirez," Zach said, sniggering. "Care to explain why you are late, Mr. Herron?" She said, eyes glinting seriously behind her glasses. Zach didn't seem bothered or even slightly intimidated at all.

Cool as a cucumber, he replied, "Well, I mean, if the bell doesn't dismiss me, then it doesn't determine what time I arrive at class, does it?" A collective gasp echoed throughout the classroom, mostly from the girls. Some of the boys, however, burst out cackling.

Everly rolled her eyes so far back into her head they almost got stuck permanently in that position. She hated him already. Who did this boy think he was?

Ms. Ramirez looked absolutely offended and harassed. Her cheeks burnt a violent shade of pink and she swelled up like a balloon. "Detention, Mr. Herron!"

Everly thought that this would finally get to Zach, but she was infuriated to find that he was still wearing that stupid arrogant smirk on his face. He raised his eyebrow almost lazily. "May I enter the classroom now?" He said mockingly.

Ms. Ramirez looked like she was going to explode. "Yes, you may!" Her voice had rose in pitch, she was so furious. Zach snickered, strolling into the classroom and dropping into a seat at the back.

Everly fumed. She felt so bad for whoever had to put up with that egotistical little—

✯ ✯ ✯

Lunch came and went and the rest of the day passed by in a blur. Finally, when the last bell rang, she released a soft sigh of relief as she took off out of the classroom.

She rushed out into the hallway, which was packed with students, expecting to see Ariana waiting for her like always. But there was no sign of the girl.

Everly hung around outside for a while, craning her neck to look for Ariana. She couldn't see her. Isabel was nowhere to be found as well.

Watching the last of the students trickle out of the school, Everly realised she wouldn't be able to wait here all afternoon. She would meet up with Ariana the next day anyway. She departed the hallway outside the biology classroom and headed down the staircase.

She descended the last step, turning right towards the cafeteria which would lead her to the school gates. So Everly was shocked to find that there was a broom closet instead of the opening to the cafeteria.

Huh? She glanced around her and smacked her forehead with her palm. Wrong staircase. Her surroundings were totally different. Whatever, Everly thought. I can just continue down the hallway and it'll eventually lead into the cafeteria.

So she wandered down the hallway, looking around her for a sign of the cafeteria. She passed a set of restrooms and a few deserted classrooms but no cafeteria. Come on, it has to be around here somewhere.

She was right. A couple of moments later, she found herself in the cafeteria. But she had appeared in the back part of the cafeteria, which was an empty area where a bunch of extra tables and chairs were stored away. No one usually came there.

Except on this occasion. To Everly's horror, she saw a boy pressed against a tall stack of unused desks. And not just any boy. It was the infamous Zach Herron. The same blonde girl from yesterday was literally on him, her legs wrapped around his waist, her lips pressed against his. They were making out furiously, their bodies snaked around each other, hands all over the other.

Everly couldn't contain her gasp of horror and disgust. The couple immediately stopped what they were doing, their eyes wide and accusing. "What the hell are you doing here?" Zach yelled, glaring at Everly.

The latter crossed her arms over her chest, glaring right back at the boy. "I was trying to get out of school, actually." Then Everly smiled at the couple, her expression fake and sickly sweet. "But you guys enjoy," She said loudly, sarcasm dripping from her tone.

She walked away. She didn't know why she was being so rude towards Zach. Maybe because of how much he acted so much like—

Never mind. Some things were better off left unanswered.